Skobbler launches in UK - iPhonew navigation for £1.19

Darren · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 9:46 am Post subject:

Well put. If you look at OpenStreetMap's website you can see some areas with very complete data and what's more, the data where complete is much richer and more detailed than anything from Google, TA, Navteq etc

Once people realise its a collaborative project then hopefully it'll take off and as you say, there is no better feeling than seeing your submissions appear on the master OSM map for the benefit of all OSM users.
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Darren Griffin

NickG · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 9:51 am Post subject:

Darren · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 10:00 am Post subject:

Yes. The issue OSM has is that it started long before turn-by-turn was ever considered as a possibility for its mapping and so a great deal of the mapping was added without any of that data.

They're working very hard to re-visit all the data and add that data layer. But it won't take them long. I'm amazed at how rapidly the map data has grown in a year.
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Darren Griffin

NickG · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 10:10 am Post subject:

They need to add an easy correction and reporting system like TA's MapInsight. Expecting *all* users to correct problems in their area just isn't feasible. They need simpler tools and an improved online interface for fixing things like one-way, turn restrictions, road names etc. Currently many of those things can only be fixed using software like JOSM, which 98% of people just won't bother with.

Darren · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 10:14 am Post subject:

Maybe but then almost all the data you see now was created by people using JOSM and other editors!

So the 2% who have bothered to contribute have done a great deal of work. I mapped most of my home town and surroundings, doesn't take a lot of effort but not for the average user.

It would be better if Joe Public could submit their traces from Skobbler and then the more keen map editors could grab the traces and add the detailed information layers.
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Darren Griffin

NickG · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 10:31 am Post subject:

Darren · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 10:34 am Post subject:

Do you have a 3G or 3GS? I'm finding the traces from my 3GS more than acceptable. Using Memory-Map they're bang on the track and more than good enough for OSM use.
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Darren Griffin

NickG · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 10:44 am Post subject:

Darren · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 11:00 am Post subject:

Seems to be a lot of variance in the performance of the 3GS from phone to phone. No doubt that both 3G and 3GS are inferior to other devices but certainly my 3G is much better than my 3G.

The good news is the iPad 3G uses the same chipset as will appear in the 4G/HD or whatever it is to be designated. Reports suggest it perform much better, more akin to what we would expect from a current generation chipset.

The antenna size in the 3G was not the issue, there are phones with similar sized antennas that function a good deal better. Either the chip has poor performance or the design suffers from interference or other issues.

Given it has been widely derided on the GPS front, we can only hope that Apple will wish to improve in this area Confused

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Darren Griffin

NickG · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 11:06 am Post subject:

An external antenna pinout on the dock connector I'm sure could make a huge difference. Moving the antenna off the PCB could help reduce interference issues, as well as improve the base signal stength the phone has to work with. There are spare pins on the dock connector, so lets hope that Apple has used one of them for a GPS antenna connector in the iPhone 4 (not that the format of the connector is ideal for RF, but it's better than nothing). If so, we could see 3rd car mounts which improve GPS reception in ALL apps, or piggyback adapters which boost battery life as well as improve GPS performance while out walking/cycling.

Darren · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 11:47 am Post subject:

Not sure if you realise but the TomTom and Magellan cradles already offer the signal improvement to all apps.

Properly designed and implemented it should not need an external antenna.
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Darren Griffin

NickG · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 12:12 pm Post subject:

Darren · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 12:19 pm Post subject:

Nope, Apple make it a condition that any external GPS device can drive any GPS app.

The app doesn't need to be aware either, when connected, an external GPS cradle assumes the role of the GPS automatically so it's transparent to any GPS enabled app.

Works with every GPS app I've tried so far.
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Darren Griffin

NickG · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 12:28 pm Post subject:

Great - wasn't aware of that. Shame the mounts are so expensive and I think both require external power to work (instead of being powered by the phone), so no of use while out walking.

Darren · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 12:48 pm Post subject:

Yes sadly both are not cheap and both do require ext power.

Let's hope that the next one resolves this issue once and for all.
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Darren Griffin

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